For the first time since the announcement of GianPiero Lambiase joining McLaren F1 in 2028, Team Principal Andrea Stella has given his thoughts in a Q&A by the team on poaching the highly regarded engineer from Red Bull Racing.
The F1 world was stunned earlier this month when news broke that the British-Italian engineer would be leaving the Milton Keynes-based squad and heading to Woking.
It is not the first significant move in recent years from Red Bull to McLaren. Rob Marshall (Chief Designer) joined and began working there in 2024, Will Courtenay (Sporting Director) started at the team in January.
Andrea Stella on securing the services of GianPiero Lambiase at McLaren F1
With Williams and Aston Martin both showing interest in one of F1’s most sought after individuals in recent times, McLaren getting “GP” to join their project is another example of the team’s rise to become one of the elites again.
Following some extremely troubling financial times through the mid to late 2010s, as well as a lack of competitiveness for many years, McLaren won their first Constructors’ Championship in 26 years in 2024. They backed it up with a totally dominant run to it in 2025. Lando Norris also because World Drivers’ Champion last year.
Andrea Stella referenced the healthy and strong culture around the team when discussing the signing of GianPiero Lambiase.
“GianPiero’s arrival will add a great amount of expertise and potential to the team for the long term.
“At the same time, it is further confirmation of how attractive McLaren has become to the best talents in Formula 1. This credibility we have gained is the result of the hard work done by all men and women who have worked at McLaren over recent years to build a culture that allows people to grow and contribute to the common goal, in a healthy and enjoyable environment.
“On top of McLaren’s results on the track and the team’s ethos perceived in the right way from the outside, I am convinced contributed to GianPiero deciding to join us.”
Icing on the cake
Alongside his Team Principal role he has held since the start of 2023, the Italian has also be juggling that with his Chief Racing Officer position.
With 24 races and a hectic schedule for all personnel in F1 these days, Andrea Stella outlined the importance of bringing GianPiero Lambiase and his excellence into the team.
“GianPiero’s arrival is the classic icing on a cake that already has all the right ingredients in the first place.
“For me, he will be a key support, filling the role of Chief Racing Officer, a position I currently hold alongside my role as Team Principal. Together with Zak, we have always worked over the past three years to ensure the continuity over the long term in terms of leadership and expertise.
“This is particularly true for certain key roles, like positions in the race team. It is above all in this area that the expansion of the calendar has had significant consequences in terms of personal commitment and quality of life.
A very different sport compared to the 2000s
Andrea Stella started at Ferrari in the early 2000s, helping Michael Schumacher and Kimi Räikkönen win Drivers’ World Championships as their performance engineer alongside Chris Dyer and co. Back then seasons generally had 16-19 races. It is a very different environment now.
“Today’s Formula 1 is very different from when I started my career, over 20 years ago. The size of a top team has more than doubled; just consider that our workforce has grown by over 20% in numerical terms over the last three years. Today, we have reached a size that is compatible with the constraints imposed by the budget cap and functional to the objective to deliver the level of performance required to succeed.
“The role of Team Principal has also become more complex. Zak and I have built a flat team structure, in which it is essential to ensure all leaders are properly empowered, but at the same time, we must guarantee there is always the necessary level of long-term support. It goes without saying that, with this approach, the dual role I currently hold could not be sustainable in the long run.”
